Salicrop, an innovative company, is pioneering cutting-edge seed enhancement technology to address global challenges such as heat, drought, and soil salinity.
Salicrop, an innovative company, is pioneering cutting-edge seed enhancement technology to address global challenges such as heat, drought, and soil salinity. Instead of breeding new crop varieties, the company activates plants’ natural stress-response mechanisms, enabling better withstandance of intense heat, prolonged dry spells, and salty soil, resulting in a 30%-50% loss in agricultural productivity.
The groundbreaking aspect of Salicrop’s approach is its compatibility with existing commercial seed varieties. Farmers can now utilize these treatments with the same trusted seeds they’ve been using, eliminating the need for a costly and uncertain transition to new varieties.
“We soak the seeds with a proprietary combination of up to 10 materials for six to 12 hours,” explained Salicrop CEO Carmit Oron to AgFunder News. “After we dry the seeds, they are the same weight; we’re not coating them, and there’s no residue on the seed, so you can call it seed enhancement rather than seed treatment. We’re making the plants healthier.”
Through extensive field trials spearheaded by co-founder Dr. Sharon Devir, Salicrop has demonstrated remarkable results. Yield increases of up to 15% for open-field tomatoes and 10%-17% for various other commercial crops grown in poor-quality, highly saline soil have been achieved.
The implications of these advancements are profound. Farmers now have the potential to maintain or even increase harvests despite worsening environmental conditions, offering hope for bolstering global food security.
While major seed companies are also addressing environmental stressors, Salicrop’s treatments stand out for their speed to market and compatibility with organic farming practices. Unlike traditional seed coatings, Salicrop’s enhancements do not interfere with organic certification requirements, providing a versatile solution for farmers committed to sustainable agriculture.
As the world’s population continues to grow and extreme weather events become more frequent, the importance of innovations like Salicrop’s seed enhancements technology cannot be overstated. They represent a crucial tool in safeguarding the global food supply against the impacts of climate change.
Salicrop has already commenced sales of its treatments for tomatoes in Israel and is in the process of expanding to other countries. With strategic partnerships on the horizon, the company is poised to deliver its crop-defending technology to farmers worldwide in the coming years.